“The ever-rising costs of oral oncolytics makes it difficult for many patients to obtain their essential therapies without financial assistance,” Ms. Peabody said. “Working closely with patients to secure their funding while providing emotional and educational support makes my role as a CPhT truly fulfilling. The effort to secure patient funding is a multi-faceted mission that includes navigating the prior authorization process, continually communicating with providers, and managing multiple applications.” Ms. Peabody works with a variety of funding sources, including the Chronic Disease Fund, Patient Access Network, Patient Advocate Foundation, Health Well Foundation, Patient Services Inc., and pharmaceutical company programs.

PTCB's CPhT of the Year Program honors and recognizes individual achievement in patient care as a way to encourage excellence among all pharmacy technicians. "PTCB is pleased to name an individual who exemplifies innovation, initiative, and commitment as the 2014 PTCB CPhT of the Year,” said Everett B. McAllister, MPA, RPh, Executive Director and CEO of PTCB. “Hannah Peabody has distinguished herself by making a difference in the lives of patients undergoing treatments for a range of complex cancers and other disorders. These treatments are life-changing, and Ms. Peabody has made them accessible to many who would have been refused treatment elsewhere.” Ms. Peabody will be recognized at a PTCB event on December 9 from 5:30 - 7 PM at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exposition in Anaheim, CA.

“I try to do whatever is possible to obtain all the help patients require to cover their treatments,” Ms. Peabody said. “For example, a patient in her 20s was treated here for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but she couldn’t afford her $500 injection refills to increase white blood cell production following chemotherapy.” After assistance for this patient was repeatedly denied, Ms. Peabody ultimately found financial help. “Now this patient feels great, her hair has grown back, and she’s continuing in college. She wants to help other people going through the same thing.”

Hired to create an oncology physician dispensing platform, Ms. Peabody worked with her pharmacy manager, Michael Reff, RPh, MBA, and an oncology nurse navigator, Deborah Walters, RN, OCN, to implement and execute new systems focused on accuracy, increased oral compliance, medication affordability, and patient convenience. Ms. Peabody’s personal priority is building close relationships with her patients. “Patients are as likely to want to tell me they have a new dog as they are to say they’re on a new treatment. Personal relationships translate into better compliance and better health. Patients call me about difficult medication side effects because they trust our team will help them feel better. We do, so they stick with their therapies.”

Ms. Peabody sees future roles expanding for CPhTs. “As pharmacists get busier with immunizations and medication therapy management, CPhTs must step up. In the future, it would be great if CPhTs were more knowledgeable about accessing funds for patients in need,” she said. Ms. Peabody led the development of a Pharmacy Technician Excellence Program at HOACNY, and senior management has endorsed the program, which outlines career steps for CPhTs at the practice.